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墨書 Inktalez
Not long after returning from the funeral of the Queen, Yang Jian officially conferred the title of Noble Consort upon Chen Cai, allowing her to indulge in a life of luxury and excess.
Meanwhile, Yang Su, who had performed exceptionally well in selecting a burial site for the Queen, was rewarded with a decree praising him: "Yang Su has diligently managed the funeral affairs, earnestly seeking auspicious grounds. In terms of sincerity and filial piety, how can his achievements be compared to those of the Duke who pacifies the realm and subdues bandits? Let us not forget to confer upon his son, Duke Yikang, a fief of ten thousand households."
Li Jian Cheng did not receive any promotion but was still rewarded with a fief of one thousand households, one hundred acres of land, ten thousand bolts of silk, ten thousand stones of rice, and various treasures including gold and pearls, along with an additional gift of three hundred servants.
Xiao Ji received nothing due to his ill-fated final remarks.
The rewards bestowed upon Yang Su were undoubtedly excessive; selecting a burial site seemed to yield greater rewards than winning a crucial battle for the nation's fate.
This left the soldiers stationed at the borders perplexed and made the officials who tirelessly governed their regions feel disheartened.
Yang Su's reputation continued to decline, and the movement against him grew stronger.
In the Eastern Palace, the Right Minister repeatedly assured that he was old and frail, wishing only to retire peacefully from his position without any further ambitions.
Li Jian Cheng pointed out, "The key lies with Liu Shu. Without him, no one else could sway the Duke of Yue."
"Has Your Highness ever tried to appease Liu Fuma?"
Faced with Li Jian Cheng's inquiry, Yang Guang hesitated: "Naturally. It's fine to discuss other matters, but when it comes to this issue, he absolutely refuses to agree and insists that the princess would not consent either."
Everyone's gaze fell upon Yang Su, who could not help but darken his expression.
Years ago, when the princess first married, Prince Wang fell ill and passed away. The princess's father-in-law, Grand Minister Wang Yi, sympathized with her youth and impending widowhood. He took it upon himself to petition the emperor for permission for her to remove her mourning attire and remarry.
It was a reasonable request both emotionally and logically; however, Yang Su, then serving as Imperial Historian, submitted a memorial denouncing it. He argued that "this is a matter that undermines morals and education; it shows a lack of compassion from a father. To treat mourning lightly leads women into immorality. If this is allowed to continue unchecked, it will harm societal customs. I request that this be dealt with according to law."
Ultimately, this led to Wang Yi committing a taboo and being sentenced to death. The kind-hearted princess could not help but resent Yang Su for causing her father-in-law's demise.
As for the grievances with the Liu family, the Consort's father and uncle had originally been friends with Yang Su during their time in court. When the emperor established the Sui Dynasty, those two did not explicitly support him. Naturally, their status was low in the new regime.
After rising to prominence, Yang Su mocked them by saying, "Both Liux are crushed; only I stand tall." Having been ridiculed in such a manner by Yang Su, Liu Shu naturally harbored resentment and sought to oppose him at all costs. His lifelong ambition became publicly humiliating Yang Su.
Now, Yang Su held a prominent position among the officials, yet the Ministry of War disregarded him. Whenever Yang Su's orders reached the Ministry of War, Liu Shu would decisively refuse, saying, "The Minister of Rites does not agree!"
The crowd was momentarily at a loss for words and had no particularly good solutions. It was easy to frame Crown Prince Qin Wang and Shu Wang, as there was the emperor's tacit approval behind it. Han Wang remained unscathed, but that was simply due to his own retreat.
If he did not retreat, merely standing there would be enough to cause Yang Guang and Yang Su to worry themselves gray-haired.
Liu Shu was in a similar situation; the emperor favored him, granting him an invulnerable status, making it difficult for underhanded tactics to affect him.
Li Jian Cheng remained silent, watching Yang Su and thinking to himself that when the moon is full, it wanes; when water is full, it overflows. The Yang family's most glorious days were coming to an end, and Yang Su would soon be pulled down.
When a high-ranking official like the Left Minister has no way to counter the provocations of his subordinates, his authority is destined to weaken. In the court, the weak do not deserve to stand above others.
In the days that followed, with the fervent support of his faction in the Eastern Palace, Yang Su began to suppress Liu Shu and others. Others could be demoted without much fuss, but Liu Shu, regardless of any accusations against him, would always have his matters minimized before the emperor.
During this time, the Yang family and Li family returned to their honeymoon phase. With the Yuwen family’s backdrop, the Li family appeared exceedingly sincere, genuinely rallying their relatives and old friends to lend a hand.
Li An had been caught by Liu Shu and demoted as a result but remained unshaken. Whenever there was an opportunity, he would retaliate fiercely against the Liu family.
Not only did Yang Su host banquets for him specifically, but even Yang Jishan was pressed down by Yang Xuangan to become a subordinate beside Li Jian Cheng.
Although this little brother wore a sour face every day, he was obedient. After Li Jian Cheng teased him a few times, he stopped bullying him and treated him as before, which moved Yang Jishan quite a bit.
However, Liu Shu was not easy to bully; after all, he had the emperor backing him up. The crown prince could not confront the emperor directly, so Li Jian Cheng's official position continued to decline.
He had already fallen to the rank of Ninth Grade Crown Prince Stable Supervisor, overseeing the Eastern Palace's carriages, stables, and livestock affairs.
Fortunately, he had never relied on rank for his livelihood. Moreover, being an official in the Crown Prince's Residence was quite leisurely; he didn't even need to report for duty.
Crown Prince Yang Guang further issued orders from the Eastern Palace that anything available there—be it rare treasures or fine steeds—Li Jian Cheng could take as he pleased without anyone obstructing him or needing to inform him.
Li Jian Cheng was also unreserved; since the crown prince made such statements about spending lavishly on horses and bones, he informed everyone that as long as they abolished private correspondence for the greater good, he would remember this and reward them generously.
As Yang Jian indulged in his desires, he could no longer demand the same from the prince. Moreover, it was only natural for Yang Guang, as the crown prince, to have some interactions with the courtiers.
Yang Guang's palace had indeed acquired many fine items, far surpassing those of the former Prince Jin's residence.
If he were still Prince Jin, Yang Guang would have said that everything was up for grabs. Li Jian Cheng would have spat in secret, wondering if he was supposed to take clothes from Consort Jin to support his household, or that broken lute with a snapped string, or perhaps the shabby screen made of plain silk without even a pattern.
But now it was different. The Celadon Bi Yong Inkstone and the Open-Glazed Yellow Porcelain were truly remarkable; he would take them. The Thirteen-Loop Jade Belt was a fine piece as well; that too would be taken. The silk products from Sangzhou were exquisite, and the splendid garments from Qingzhou lived up to their reputation. This Rosewood Screen was simply exquisite; he would take that as well.
As for the fine steeds and hunting dogs, they were even more enticing. Whenever there was leisure time, he would surely lead a few away.
Yang Guang not only showed no anger but sometimes laughed at Li Jian Cheng during banquets, teasing him about his youth and poor taste. He had intentionally placed several rare treasures in that room, yet Li Jian Cheng had failed to choose any of them, opting instead for those gaudy items.
Feigning annoyance, Li Jian Cheng declared, "One day I will sweep away all that His Highness treasures!"
Yang Guang laughed heartily while the others looked on with envy, wondering when they could be so carefree with the crown prince.
Meanwhile, with Li Yan also being seized by opportunity and demoted from his position, the father and son found themselves in different markets—one in the East Market and the other in the Western Market—hosting lavish banquets for guests and spending money freely, creating quite a lively atmosphere.
On the other hand, Yang Su's situation was less favorable. He could hardly endure Liu Shu's constant access to the emperor due to his connection with the princess. Liu Shu's persistent persuasion led the emperor to harbor some doubts about Yang Su's loyalty and character.
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